The Wonderful World of Music (MP3s)

1. The Wonderful World of Music (2:40)
2. Windows on the Square (2:12)
3. It's Easy (2:28)
4. Boutonierre (2:09)
5. The Good Doctor (2:16)
6. News Room (2:32)
7. The Man in the Blue Blazer (1:46)
8. Park Square (1:35)
9. On the Air! (1:38)
10. Nightwatch (2:13)
11. Account Exec's (2:16)
12. The Irishman (2:08)

Imagine if you could take the hustle and bustle of a popular AM radio station, the daily comings and goings of air staff, reporters, and salespeople, and somehow turn it into audio. That's exactly what W-EZE program director Robert R. Way had in mind when he composed these instrumentals in 1965 as a gift to the station's advertisers.

Way's name pops up online from time to time. After leaving W-EZE, the Georgia native worked full-time creating advertising jingles. In 1975 he left music and spent 20 years practicing clinical psychology. After retiring, he got back to his love of music and assembled the Robert Way Orchestra and Chorus, which continues to produce CDs of Way's original compositions and traditional American music.

This album appears at a crossroads in W-EZE's history. In the early 1960s, the station followed the "beautiful music" format, mixed with live news updates from their glass-walled studio in Park Square, Boston. Because the inner workings of the station could be seen by people passing by, all station staff wore signature blue blazers embellished with the station's logo and a fresh boutonierre.

As music migrated to the newly popular FM dial, W-EZE upped the news content and eventually became one of America's first all-talk stations, although music persisted in the overnight hours until the early 1970s.

Way's compositions are bright and jazzy, reflecting the energy not only within the station but around it on the streets of Boston. You'll hear the horns honking in afternoon traffic in "Park Square," the ceaseless chatter of the tickertape in "News Room," and the lonely tolling of the Copley Square church bells in "Nightwatch."

Two compositions, "The Good Doctor" and "The Irishman," are reserved for Music Director Dr. Louis Goldberg and station President Arthur Haley.

Way had access to a good-sized orchestra, judging by the complexity of the arrangements. It's a considerable investment of time and resources for an album that would have had a small run.

If you enjoy Way's music, you'll find his recent releases on CDBaby.

Comments

[Ernie (Not Bert)]

So wait, is this the same Robert Way who did this great Christmas LP back in the sixties?

http://ernienotbert.blogspot.com/2005/12/right-of-way.html

It's surprisingly good stuff. I got an email from him last year saying that he was recording again, but I heard the new stuff is more synthesizers instead of real orchestras, and it looses something in that.

[Hear It Wow]

It should be the same Robert Way. Fleetwood (who put out that Christmas album) was a local Massachusetts label that mostly produced sports documentaries. The New England connection can't be a coincidence.

[Ernie (Not Bert)]

Thanks for the confirmation. I bow to the power of your awesome record collection. Thanks a million for this!

[hearitwow]

Thanks for the kind words, but I must confess that my Christmas music collection would be quite lacking without your hard work.

[ljp]

Sounds better than I expected. Nothing cheesy or anything...

[mirc]

Thanks..

[cinsel sohbet]

ThanGuzel post

[Joseph]

As a lifelong resident of the Boston area, I can tell you that WEZE was never an all-talk station.

You may have thought that because Alan Colmes worked there in the early-to-mid 1970's. But he was a DJ.

Colmes came to WEZE in late 1972, just as the station had dumped it's easy-listening format of thirteen years' standing, which was replaced by a top-40/oldies blend.

In August of 1975, after Colmes left, WEZE briefly went back to easy-listening, but it didn't work, and after eighteen months, the station flipped to an early version of Adult Album Alternative.

WEZE kept that format until the station was sold to Salem Communications in 1978 and went 24/7 religious programming.

WEZE in the mid-190's moved from it's original spot at 1260 to 590, where it continues to broadcast religious programming.

[Joseph]

According to the December 27th, 1965 Boston Globe, this album was broadcast on WEZE that evening.

Although I don't know for certain, it's also possible that this album may also have been given away to listeners as a contest prize.